Escaping Hogwarts
by ReiRuKaZu
Summary: AU. When Godric Gryffindor woke up to find himself trapped inside a castle with nothing but his wand, he, his somewhat annoying partner, and several others had two choices: spend their entire lives living together in the school, or find a way out, even if that means that people may die in the process. AlternateHogwarts/characters, OCs included, rated T for language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**My first fanfic ever, so reviews are greatly appreciated.**

**This fic is somewhat inspired by the VN "Dangan Ronpa", so if anyone knows about it, well, some of the concepts might be similar. For the plot's sake, everyone here will be 15-16 years of age, and (as it is an AU) will have slight alterations regarding their character settings.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and Dangan Ronpa. They belong to JK Rowling and Spike respectively.**

* * *

Chapter One: Upon waking up

There was a loud crash as Godric Gryffindor toppled down and landed on the cold stone floor unceremoniously in a tangle of bed-sheet mess. He remained in that position dazedly, as consciousness slowly took over his wracked mind.

_What..._

After a few moments of misery, he sat up, head pounding and body cramped, green eyes narrowed as he scanned his surroundings.  
The room was dark, and not very spacious, with only a simple desk and shelf leaning by the wall at the corner. He glanced back and found himself staring at a twin bed. Silently thanking whichever gods above that he was not sleeping on the upper bed, he pushed himself up his feet, concluding his overall investigation of the room.

"...I see you've finally woken up."

Godric jumped at the sudden voice, and whirled around. There was nobody there but-

_Oh._

His eyes fell upon the silhouette of a lean figure, barely visible within the shadows of the doorway. The other person stepped closer, enough for Godric to register his face.

The other boy was about the same age as himself, if not younger. He had a small, fragile stature, very pale skin and had his long dark hair pulled back in a simple ponytail at the back of his head. Curtains of jet black fringes hung down, brushing the tips of sharp steel-gray eyes which, Godric mentally noted, held a look which no ordinary 16-year-old boy could ever have.

His companion seemed to be scanning him head to toe with genuine interest as well. Godric shifted slightly at his intense gaze. Fortunately, he broke eye contact fast.

"And here I was thinking that you weren't going to wake up. You slept like a log, you know. That is," he snickered, "until you fell off the bed for whatever reason."

Godric abruptly coughed. "Never mind that... What is this place?" He glanced back. " And who are you?"  
The other boy tilted his head slightly. "What makes you think that I'd know?"  
"..." _Honestly, he is getting on my nerves, little by little._ "You look so calm, despite waking up in some strange room with a stranger. I'd assume you know what's going on."

The boy's smirk turned slightly grim. "It is at this kind of situation where panicking won't do us any good. Anyways."

He swiftly turned and approached the table, pulling out drawer beneath. In it was a wand, and a piece of scrap paper. He took out both, and handed the wand to Godric, who frowned. _Hey, that's mine. Why-_

"I found my wand there," the boy was saying, "so I'll take that that one's yours. And this..." he held up the paper.

Godric reached over and took it.

_The school's opening ceremony will be held in the Great Hall. The Headmaster awaits your arrival._

"What..is the meaning of this?"

His question was left unanswered. "Door's locked. Couldn't get out. But then it must be because you were sleeping, and they probably wants us to leave at the same time."

Godric looked up, slightly annoyed. "Well then, why don't you check the door now?"

"I was about reach that part. Don't be so impatient."

_Jerk._

The boy headed over to the door and gingerly turned the doorknob. The door swung open in an instant. He snorted, smirk widening. "Let's get going."

Godric begrudgingly followed suit.

* * *

The spacious, somewhat murky hallways, drawn curtains vexed Godric. But that he could bear. Have him walk down the cold corridors, adorned by torn portraits and rusty armors all alone, and he would be fine with it, no problem. In fact, he'd rather be alone, with all these mesmerizing paintings and gorgeous armor sets. He could bear all of that, thank you very much. He _is_ Godric Gryffindor, after all.

No, the only thing he could not put up with was his tiny, mysterious, ever-confident and ignorant companion.

He had asked for his name for the second time, and had given his, but the other had turned away without even one word, much less an answer, and continued on his merry way.

_Ever the jerk. Whoever locked me up with him has a terrible sense of humor._

While descending a flight of stairs, said boy suddenly came into a halt, Godric nearly running into him.

"What now?"

He stared at Godric, saying nothing, as if the answer was so obvious as it was on Godric's forehead-then nodded at a pair of double doors dominating most of the wall not far below.

"...Oh."

"Oh indeed." He tilted his head again, which apparently was a fond habit of his. "At least it isn't that far."

"How are you so sure about this?"

"It's called the Great Hall for a reason, Godric."

Godric scowled. "Fine. Lead the way then, genius."

He was rewarded with a scoff of laughter. "I'll take that as a compliment. Well, here goes nothing." With that, he pushed the doors open.

They were greeted by the strangest scene both-or at least Godric-had ever seen.

The room was definitely the largest chamber of whatever building they were trapped within. It was illuminated by thousands of levitating candles, floating above four very long tables, which in turn had been brilliantly laid with golden plates and goblets, each and every of them containing a very appetite-tempting dish or drink. At the front was another table, positioned horizontally in contrast to the other four's vertical positions, with nothing on it but a simple pedestal. Godric looked up to the ceiling, only to find it _dark_-as if an abyss is hovering on top of the candles, tables, and themselves.

Now, one would expect to such room to be packed with people. Yet somehow it was not. The Hall was so empty and quiet, you could probably hear a pin drop as clear as a barking dog. _Wait why am I thinking of dogs_ _this is not the time snap out of it Gryffindor-_

They were not the only ones though. And certainly not the first ones to enter the Hall. Godric once again shifted uncomfortably as ten pairs of eyes stared at him.

Six boys and four girls, spread almost evenly between the four tables (two of the tables were only occupied by two persons-the rest occupied by three), looking as confused as Godric was. As the double doors slammed shut behind their backs on its own, one of the girls-a porcelain-skinned ravenette-stood up from her seat and approached them.

"Well, seems like the last pair is finally here."

Godric frowned. "Last pair?"

"Yes," this time a boy spoke up; he was also dark-haired, but instead of strictness or elusiveness like the girl and Godric's own partner, he had an aura of friendliness radiating from him. "The doors didn't shut when we came in, and...well, apparently there were supposed to be twelve of us, yet only ten were present...so you must be the last two."

"And what," drawled a curly-haired blond, seated at the table on the far right, "makes you think that there are exactly twelve of us?"

"If you have not yet noticed," another boy interjected. "The wristbands' numbers go up to six, and every two persons have the same number. It is only obvious that we're missing the last two," he turned and narrowed his eyes at Godric, "that makes Pair One."

_Wristband? What—_Godric spontaneously lifted up his arm and pulled back his robes' sleeve—and sure enough, a silver wristband was wrapped snugly round his wrist, the roman number "I" emblazoned upon its shiny surface. He then tried to pull it off, but it stuck onto his skin and would not come off. Giving up on his futile attempts, Godric saw from the corner of his eye that his companion was doing the same, and, when he noticed the attention upon him, flashed his wristband's number for Godric to see. _I. Damn._

"Well," the blond muttered, his tone sheepish. "Cool. So now that we're all here…why don't we, I don't know, sit down and introduce each other. I mean, the so called "Headmaster" doesn't seem to be here yet, so…yeah."

"Point taken," said the ravenette. "I'll start first then. I'm Rowena, Rowena Ravenclaw. I'm from Pair Two," and as if to prove her statement, she lifted up her wrist, showing everyone else the number on it.

"I'm Helga Hufflepuff," a petite girl piped in, rising up to stand next to Rowena. "I'm Ro's partner. Nice to meet you."

She smiled, and Godric swore that every boy in the room had blushed simultaneously.

"Nicholas," called the blond lazily from behind Helga's back, "just Nick for short. I'm in Pair Four."

A grey haired boy looked up from the table on the far right and blinked slowly. "William…also in Pair Four."

Nick glanced at him with distaste. "…aaaand that's my idiot of a partner there."

William simply stared back. Nick turned away and huffed. Godric smiled could not help but smile a bit.

"I'm Robert," the dark-haired boy said, smiling slightly, "Pair Three. That there's my partner, Abel Flamel." He nodded at a mousy-haired boy, who had his nose stuck between the pages of a thick book. A slight grunt was the only response given.

A plump boy with a pleasant, docile face seated at the table where Helga had been sitting turned to face the others. "Francis here, from Pair Five."

"Elvira le Fay!" squealed a girl, her cheerful voice obnoxiously loud that Godric (and several others) could not help but wince. "I'm in Five too, with Fatty here."

"It's _Francis_," corrected her partner half-heartedly. Elvira simply gave him a silly grin.

"Helena Ravenclaw," the last girl said, her voice sharp and cold. She looked up, and people stared at her, then at Rowena, then at her again.

Finally Helga made out, "are you and Ro…siblings? Twins? You look so…identical.:

"We are not." Both girls replied in an instant, only to earn more amused looks as they glanced at each other.

"I do not recall having a relative by the name of Helena," said Rowena, frowning, "nor have I ever seen you before."

Helena was silent, and did not seem to be interested in giving them an explanation. Finally the last boy—the same one who had countered Nick and told them about the wristbands—sighed and stood up.

"There must have been some complications," he said quietly, "as Helena here cannot remember a single thing but her name. "

Looks of sympathy were now directed at said girl, who merely scoffed.

"Anyways, I'm Terence," the boy continued. "Helena and I are Pair Six."

There were nods and murmurs of acknowledgement. Finally, all eyes were once again directed at Godric. He shrugged.

"I'm Godric Gryffindor,"he replied confidently, "and that person at the back is—"

"Salazar. Salazar Slytherin."

Godric shot a glare at him. _You just had to wait for this to reveal your name, didn't you._

"Anyways, as you have guessed, we're Pair One."_ or whatever this number actually means._

They were greeted with a similar response to Helena and Terence's introduction. Something was off, though.

People like Helga and Robert smiled at them friendlily, but the rest seemed to be glowering at Godric's head—no, it wasn't his head they were glaring at, realized, and turned to look at Salazar, who seemed to be unfazed at the wary looks directed at him.

Godric frowned. Something was different about this Salazar and the Salazar when they were alone. He was quite talkative back in their first meeting, yet had never uttered a word sans his name since he stepped into the hall. That's alright, Godric supposed, but still, something else was bothering him. Was it his sudden cold demeanor? Or maybe because—

"Well, now that we've all know each other, we won't have to resort in calling people by names," said Rowena promptly, cutting his train of thoughts. Helena's eyes narrowed at her.

"You seem so calm about this. Do you perhaps know what is going on?"

_My thoughts exactly,_ Godric couldn't help but think as he shot another glance at Salazar, who remained eerily quiet.

Rowena sniffed. "Of course I don't. I just woke up to find myself trapped in this place with my partner. I take that the same goes for everyone else?"

They nodded. Helga sighed.

"So everyone's the same, I guess…"

"Plus the fact that all of my stuffs are missing," Nick grumbled. "'Side from my wand, that is."

"To sum up," Abel muttered from behind his book, "everyone here somehow lost their consciousness, find themselves in a room with some stranger as their partner, with nothing in possession but their wand and the mysterious wristbands strapped dead on their wrist, and then was told to assemble in this so called Great Hall." A pause, then, "…interesting."

Nick gaped at him. "Seriously? You'd find a situation like this as _interesting?_ Don't you think that's a little—"

His sentence was cut short by a shrill laughter, which startled them all. Rowena and Salazar had tensed (though the latter hid it well) in alert, whilst Nick had fallen of his chair in surprised, and was pulled back to his feet by an indifferent William.

"Eh, testing, testing! Can you all hear me? Then let the Orientation begin! Quick, quick!"

The laughing voice seemed to originate from the high table. It was getting louder, until something black shot out of nowhere and landed on top of the pedestal.

It took several seconds for Godric to register that this black object is a wizard's hat.

It was patched all over, and donned a cloak of dust that seemed to have never been removed for thousands of years. That wasn't quite surprising, Godric thought, soon as the shock had worn out.

No. It was the fact that the hat _was talking _through a large seam on its brim that made it quite a scene.

"Hog! Warts! Hog! Warts! Hoggy Warty Hogwarts!" it chanted in a singsong tone. Then it lurched forward, the seams near its top slightly narrowing, as if it was trying to inspect them very closely. "It's yet another new academic year! And I see you've introduced yourselves before I even asked you to do so! What fine, fine students we have this year! Eheeheehee!"

_What._

Ignoring the ridiculed looks directed at its filthy form, the hat went on cheerfully, "I'm your Headmaster, The Sorting Hat! Well, now that I've introduced myself, let's get this started! Stand up! Attention! Bow! Morning, you people!"

_The Hell._

"Ehm…how should I put this?" the Hat tilted its pointed body (_No not body it's only a piece of cloth what were you thinking_), its mouth (_no that's no mouth it's seam_) widened into a large, maniacal grin. "Right, right! We all know what brilliant people you all are, right? That potential of yours is not to go waste! No, no, no!

"That's why we came to an agreement! That is, to put you all together so that you can grow up to be even more brilliant than before! That's right, by having you all stay and live here together, you won't have to worry about being wasted away in this crapsack world!"

No one dared to reply. Then Godric steeled himself and asked, "What…do you mean, 'stay and live here together'?"

"Hmm?" the Hat turned to stare at him. Then its seam opened even wider as it burst into a fit of laughter.

"Eheeheeheehee! Don't be silly now, Gryffindor!" (Godric frowned at the usage of his name) "It's just as what the tin says! You all will be living in this castle, in Hogwarts, from now on! That's how it is!"

"And how long are we going to do that? Staying and living in this place together?" asked Salazar, his voice a deadly calm.

"Eheehee, about that…"the Hat paused, watching eagerly as many of them held their breath,"….there is no time limit. Which is to say, you all are going to stay here," its seam had now split so wide that it was a wonder that it was still in one piece, "_forever_."

The ensuing silence was the most deafening silence Godric had ever experienced.

* * *

**So there it is. I'm happy to be able to write this much, but still, tell me what you think so I can improve.**

**Here's a list of the characters in the story, just in case:**

**(Founders)**

**Godric Gryffindor (Pair One)**

**Salazar Slytherin (Pair One)**

**Rowena Ravenclaw (Pair Two)**

**Helga Hufflepuff (Pair Two)**

**(Ghosts)**

**Nicholas/Nick/Nearly Headless Nick (Pair Four)**

**Francis/The Fat Friar(Pair Five)**

**Terence/The Bloody Baron (Pair Six)**

**Helena Ravenclaw/The Grey Lady (Pair Six)**

**(OCs)**

**Robert (Pair Three)**

**Abel Flamel (Pair Three)**

**Elvira le Fay (Pair Five)**

**William (Pair Five)**

**(Special Thanks to Isilarma for letting me using Robert for this fic. Really appreciated it.)**

**Again, please review, and thanks for reading. See you in the next installment :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the second chapter. It's mostly all talk, since there are rules to be explained after all. On a side note, I won't be able to post anything until probably near the end of the month; Exams are coming and I'll have to revise, revise, and revise. They end at 19th of September, which means I can only continue after the 20th. Sorry, but wish me luck so I can ace and update with high spirits :p**

**By the way, this fic will not only be written through Godric's point of view-it could be anyone, depending on the events taking place. As for this chapter, I decided to try using Helga...just to make things clear.**

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own Harry Potter and Dangan Ronpa. They belong to JK Rowling and Spike respectively.**

* * *

Chapter Two: Rules and Regulations

"'There is no time limit. Which is to say, you all are going to stay here forever."

Helga Hufflepuff allowed herself a few seconds for the Hat's statements to sink in. _Live out our lives entire here…forever?_

_That's…that's just…_

"That's just absurd," someone had snapped, voicing what seemed to be in everyone's minds. "You're saying that we have to stay here till death? You have got to be kidding me."

Murmurs of agreement echoed throughout the Hall. The Hat was still grinning, much to Helga's discomfort.

"Ehehe, don't worry, don't worry!" it chirped, "We've got practically everything here, so that you all can do _aaaaanything_ you want within the grounds!"

"That's not the point!" Nick hissed, his face reddening as impatience and anger took over confusion. "You can't just lock people in forever for no reason!"

"This is _not_ done for no reason!" the Hat shrieked, its seam twisting into a hideous scowl. Then it shook itself violently, before looking back up, the previous grin already plastered back onto its face. "Like what I said, this is all for the world's and your own good. It's for the noble goal of protecting the world's yet to be tarnished hope! You people should be grateful for this, you know!"

"Grateful, my arse!" Elvira suddenly screeched, all cutesiness and optimism forgotten. "We never asked for this to happen!"

"And besides," Terence said, his hand reaching for the wand sticking out from his robes' pockets, "what makes you think that we would actually listen and do as you say?"

"He's right," Godric quipped, wand already drawn out and pointed at the amused headwear's direction. "You do not expect us to really stay here for eternity, don't you?"

The Hat merely giggled, waving its pointy tip at him. "Eheehee! I always forget how naïve you people are. And do _you _really expect that we'd put you all in here without any precautions? Huh?"

Helga frowned at that, a sense of foreboding welling up inside her.

"I mean, come on!" the Hat continued, nodding at Godric's wand, "we let you have your wands. Would we actually let you keep them if they could be a hindrance to this project?"

"Your point?" Rowena demanded, her own wand clenched but hidden from sight. The Hat turned to face her.

"My point," it sneered, "is that magic cannot help you here. Nope, not this time! You can't do Apparition in or out of Hogwarts! You can't use magic in the Great Hall! You can't _even_ do magic alone! And we've put up anti-magic wards so that you cannot leave the grounds. How, how, how do you think magic will help you escape with all of that?"

"_What?_" many exclaimed in unison, Helga being one of them. The Hat cackled at their reaction.

"Eheehee! How very troubling, right? Makes one think that letting you keep your wands is such a superfluous thing to do!"

"Y-you're saying," Francis stuttered, his chubby face drained of all colors, "that we won't be able to use magic here?"

"Are you dumb?" the Hat suddenly snapped, causing him to take a few startled steps back, "Of course that's what I meant! You lot should know the taste of living without depending on magic in order to become better people! By understanding how Muggles survive and advance without magic, you'll be much more independent than the whole Wizarding World combined! Eheehee!"

Helga jumped at the sudden uproar of protests erupting throughout the Hall as soon as those words left the Hat's seam.

"Bastard! First you locked us in here, and next you're taking away magic?"

"What the Hell—this is one _sick _joke, I tell you!"

"I've had enough of your bullshit, you filthy little piece of trash!"

"You were saying," a clear, cold voice pierced through the anger-fuelled protests and insults, causing eleven pairs of eyes to swivel round and stare at the lean figure by the doors. Silver orbs gleamed as Salazar regarded the Hat with a calculating look. "Magic cannot be used _in_ the Great Hall and _when _a person is alone. So what if those two conditions are met?"

Helga blinked. Here they were, hollering pointless rants at a laughing hat like children, while Salazar probably had noticed the loopholes almost immediately.

_How very immature of us. Not Rowena though, _she noted, as her dark-haired friend gave Salazar a nod of approval and faced the Hat once more. "He's right. If what you said was true, then so long as we are neither inside the Hall nor being alone, magic is still usable, is it not?"

"Ehee, glad to see that there are a couple of sensible students here amongst you dunderheads," the Hat sighed in mock relief. "You've got that right, mm-hmm. _Buut_…"

"But?"

"The magic restrictions aren't restricted…to only not being in the Hall or being alone! There are other certain areas where using magic is _strictly_ prohibited. And you can use magic only when you are a certain distance with your partner. Your partner and your partner _only._"

Helga glanced at Rowena (who glanced back), then down at the band wrapped snugly on her wrist. Not far behind she could hear Godric letting out a faint groan of annoyance.

"Eheehee! I see you've figured out what those pretty bands are for!" the Hat squealed. "That's right, it's a reminder on who, who, _who _your partner is! You might be sharing the same room right now, but if you are a pair of boy and girl, then you won't be, of course! So there's the reminder for you! Well then! Any other questions?"

Silence. The Hat grinned the most malicious grin Helga had ever seen.

"Very well then! Enjoy your new life in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts! Yahoo! New students, you all are now dis—"

"Wait!"

Helga flinched as all eyes landed upon her, but stood firmly on her ground. Steeling herself under the pressure of the attention, she lifted up her head to stare squarely into the Hat's artificial eyes.

"Do we really…not have a choice?"

The Hat tilted its tip to one side. "Hee? What do you mean, 'a choice'?"

Helga's eyes flashed. There was no turning back now. "Must we really stay here? If you want us to be brilliant people so desperately, why not use another method? Why lock us here against our own will?" she took a deep breath, and gave the others a quick glance. "No one…no one would want to be locked up for the rest of their lives, right?"

She paused, silently begging for someone to respond, to prove that _no no we do not want to do this you have no right to force us to stay here forever—_

Finally it was Nick who rewarded her with a wide grin, before turning quickly to glare at the amused headwear.

"Yeah, what she said. Think that we're already cool with this, don't you? Well _I'm _not staying here! Magically or not, I'll bust down this stinky castle, one way or another. And _you,_ you filthy piece of trash, is not going to stop me from doing so!"

His opposition was spontaneously followed by the others', all equally determined and overwhelming. Helga felt a light tap on her shoulder, and glanced back to see Rowena flash her a small smile of appreciation. "Well done."

She returned the gesture. "Thank you."

The Hat shifted uncomfortably on its perch. Then it trembled.

"_**SILENCE**_!"

All mouths immediately snapped shut in stupefaction. The Hat feigned a cough and straightened itself.

"Hum! I really didn't wish for things to go _this_ way, but guess it can't be helped. Fine! I'll give you two choices. Either you all stay here _peacefully for eternity—_or—"

Helga straightened. They really had another option after all. She could not care less about what it was—it was their last chance.

"—or you could take the much more chaotic Exam Route instead."

"…"

_The…what?_

The Hat giggled again. "Oooh, you're so confused now, aren't you? Of course you are! But if you really want to leave Hogwarts, which I strongly advise NOT to do so, this is your only way out!"

"Then what are you waiting for?" Elvira snapped. "Hurry and tell us what the Hell do you mean with this 'Exam Route' thing!"

"Patience, patience!" the Hat tutted. "I'm just about to reach that part! Anyways, even if you choose to go on the Exam Route, not all of you might actually make it out, you know!"

Yet another tense silence. The Hat pointedly ignored it and went on, "The rules aren't too complicated, so don't you worry! A letter will be sent to a random student in a random time, which contains the Exam's demands. Now all you have to do is to do as what it says within a time limit, and once you've completed a certain amount of Exams _peeerfectly_, you'll be able to graduate and leave! Easy, no?"

Most of them straightened up, eager for the only hopes of escaping that were now dangling before them. The Hat grinned a Cheshire grin—and once more, Helga felt an uncomfortable feeling welling up inside. There were clearly more to this than what had been offered by now.

"But here's the catch! What if you fail to complete the task given in time? Anyone? You get free treats for answering it right!"

Helga bit her lip, heart pounding soundly inside her ribcage. She did not like where this was going.

"Nobody? Huh," the Hat sighed, feigning disapproval. Then it reverted back to its cheery demeanor. "Well, that's alright! Allow me to reveal the answer! What happens to the useless fellows who cannot complete the task given? Of course, the answer is—they _die."_

Its optimism was rewarded by twelve blank looks directed upon itself.

Then someone—presumably Godric or Nick, Helga could not tell—croaked weakly, "_What?_"

"You—heard—me—right!" the Hat sang. "Loser gets to be punished very harshly! Cut, hit, poison, hex, strangle, stab, mutilation…it could be anything! Life is full of surprises, after all!"

"N-no, that's not it…"Robert made out, his face pale as ash, "...so if you don't succeed in doing the task given, you—"

"You die, of course! How many times should I tell you lot? You'll die, you'll die, you'll _die die die die DIE_!"

"We heard you loud and clear, Mister!" Elvira snapped, her left eye twitching furiously. "But what you are saying right now doesn't make sense at all! Why would you kill someone just because they cannot finish some stupid little task?"

"Wro—ong," the Hat said, frowning at her. "It makes total sense, you know. These tasks are set at a level which brilliant people like you lot could certainly achieve—if you can't, then you are simply worth—less! This world doesn't need worthless people who fail to live up to expectations! The only thing left for them is to die, naturally!"

It glanced away to survey the rest—some were pale with horror, the other trembling with silent rage. Either way, it seemed to please the Hat, and the satisfied grin plastered on its face sickened Helga to no end.

"Well, I _did_ tell you that not all of you would probably graduate, so there's that! Well, seeing that you lot was so desperate in leaving this haven, I'll just let you all go with the Exam Route! Who knows, we might even get a corpse by tomorrow."

It finished the sentence with a gleeful tone. And Helga could take it no more. But she found herself unable to do anything, and finally managed, in a mechanic voice:

"Why…why are you doing this to us?"

"Why am I doing this to you?" the Hat sneered, leering at her. "I'm afraid you've asked too many useless question, Miss Hufflepuff! As for your previous question, and to this one, I'll give you one single answer which answers them all—"

It leaned forward, a glint of insane excitement in its torn eyes. "—this is all done in order to push the world's only hope far from its reach—_and down into the depths of despair_."

The next thing Helga knew, Nick had stormed up and grabbed the hat by its brim roughly.

"Enough with all this bullshit," he snarled, his tone escalating by every syllable, "why don't I rip you into pieces now so that you can ZIP IT!"

"Eeek! Violence against Headmaster! Violence against Headmaster!"the Hat was squealing. "Those who violate the rules shall be punished! Shall be punished—" it paused mid-sentence, and went limp in Nick's hands. A few seconds later, an unsettling ticking sound emanated from within it.

"Wh-what…"

Helga's eyes widened in realization at the same time Rowena cried out, "Get away from that thing now!"

Nick stared at her, confounded. "Wha—"

"Hurry!"

By now the ticking had gradually gotten louder. Nick finally caught up with the situation, and in a panic, flung the now motionless Hat beyond the table as hard as he could.

They were all proven correct when the Hat exploded midair.

There was a brief silence, then William had murmured, "Is it dead?"

"I'm not an_ it_, I'm a _he!"_

Much to their astonishment and chagrin, another hat—completely identical to the previous one—materialized on the pedestal, laughing maniacally.

"You can't kill me—I'm invincible! Anyways, that just now was only a warning! If any of you dare to repeat such vile actions again..."it—_he _wagged his tip at them—"expect yourself to die a horrid and painful death! Well then, the School's Opening Ceremony is officially over! You are all dismissed! Have fun living a life of despair! Eheeeheeeheeheeee!"

With that and a deafening crack, the pedestal was once again empty, leaving the stunned students alone in the now quiet Hall.

* * *

**End's a bit rushed, but I have to finished it by today, else this story will stay unupdated until end of September-start of October. It's eleven at night now; I'm real beat...so yeah. **

**Anyways, reviews are greatly appreciated, and thanks for reading :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm sorry, sorry, sorry for the insanely long delay guys, had a bad case of writer's block, October was a terribly busy month, and then my computer ran into Adware problems that I had to leave it at the office to be restored. Not to mention more projects and oh, NaNoWriMo as well….again, sorry for the delay...and possible crappiness. Okay?...Okay.**

**Disclaimer: still…do not…own. If I do, Harry Potter would have an official Anime adaption and the Dangan Ronpa app for Android/IOS would be 100% complete when downloaded for free. So yeah.**

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Chapter 3: First of all

Godric ran a hand through his messy red hair with a weary sigh as he plopped down onto his bed stiffly, Salazar watching him with mild amusement from his perch above.

Night had fallen, and all twelve students had retreated back to their rooms after begrudgingly set things down to be discussed tomorrow. After all, no one could actually calm down and sort things out properly after the Sorting Hat's (weird name, Godric noted,) so called opening ceremony.

There was something else though. Godric glanced briefly at his partner, who was now toying with his wand aimlessly. It seems that there is more to him than the jerk he had come to know in the morning, when he first woke up in this very same room.

* * *

_"Well then, the School's Opening Ceremony is now officially over! You are all dismissed! Have fun living a life full of despair! Eheeeeheeeheeehee!"_

_Having said those ominous words, the Hat vanished with a loud crack, leaving the stupefied students alone in the now quiet Hall. _

_Nick was first to break the silence. "Urgh, th-that was insane."_

_"Whoever behind all of this is messing with us," Abel scowled, putting aside his book with a dull thud. "They are not going to let us go quite easily."_

"_Staying here is one thing," Nick muttered, ""but this whole do-it-or-die thing's just-" he trailed off, shaking his head._

_"I-I'm sorry," a tiny voice whimpered, causing them all to turn and face Helga, who had tears brimming under her eyes, "if I hadn't said anything, that Hat wouldn't..."_

_"That's not your fault," Godric winced at the harshness in Rowena's tone, "no one had expected something like this to happen. In any case," she swirled around and glanced at the rest. "We should go and look around first. Who knows, there might be a clue or even a way out."_

_"Good idea," Helena said stiffly. "Well, I'll be going, then."_

_Robert frowned. "Helena, wait-"_

_Said girl had stridden past Salazar, who made no move to stop her, and slipped out of the heavy doors before he could finish. Robert's outstretched arm fell back limply to his side as he shrugged helplessly. _

_"I'd best go with her," Terence said quietly, before dipping his head and slipped outside. There were faint echoes of footsteps, and he too was gone. Soon, the rest followed suit, one after another, until only two groups were left standing in the Hall._

_Godric shifted uncomfortably as he watched Rowena trying and failing to comfort Helga, who by now had tears streaming down her cheeks steadily, with occasional shivers wracking her small frame. Salazar was still standing by the door, apparently waiting for Godric to start investigating. After all, they were technically forced to go in pairs, whenever and wherever they are._

_Godric shrugged. The jerk could wait some more._

_He carefully moved to stand in front of Helga. Rowena caught his eye, nodded stiffly and stepped away from the weeping girl._

_"Er, Helga?" _

_No response. He tried again._

_"Helga, come on. You didn't do anything wrong."_

_"I did," she looked up, and took a shuddering breath. "I shouldn't have asked for an alternative. Now the Hat would probably ensure that nobody would be able to graduate, and kill us all, even. I-it's my fault. The Hat knows it. I know it."_

_"Helga-"_

_"You gave us another choice," Salazar's enigmatic yet somewhat soothing voice silenced Godric before he could say any further. He turned and stared at his partner, who had turned slightly to face the doors._

_"you gave us an alternative, a possible way out of this hell hole. You saw the others' reaction; clearly they prefer risking their lives rather than eternal imprisonment."_

_Helga shook her head. "But the Hat-"_

_"-said that he'd kill us only if we could not fulfill his requirements." he glanced back, "and who said we cannot?"_

_Godric blinked. Apparently his partner would never cease to amaze-confuse him._

_Helga sniffled. "B-but...are you really sure? That we'd survive this?"_

_There was a momentary silence. Then Salazar said softly, "We wouldn't if we fail. That's why we cannot fail. Focus on that first."_

_He shifted his glance to Godric, beckoning him to follow, and left the Hall without even glancing back._

* * *

"Helloooo. Earth to Godric..."

Godric blinked and drew back from the sudden object dangling before his face. "Huh?"

Salazar sighed and drew his hand back."You were spacing out…that's unlike you." then there was the smirk. "and it doesn't suit you either. You being the idiotic hothead you are and all."

The taller boy glared. "Must you always insult people whenever that disgusting mouth of yours is open, Slytherin?"

"Yeah, I make a living out of that. So deal with it."

Godric pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't get you. With me you're a jerk, with Helga you're some sort of a motivator and with the others you act like a creepy git. What's with that, got DiD or something?"

Salazar shrugged, a faint, somewhat troubled smile adorning his pale face. "Heh, probably...It just somehow felt natural, you know. To deliberately mess with you. "

"And the whole thing with Helga?"

He turned away, and Godric raised a brow. "Eh, I don't know...guess I just felt like saying that. Her crying's really unbearable, after all."

The brow raised higher. Godric grinned. "You like her."

"I do not."

"Stop denying the truth."

Salazar threw a pillow at his face. "Shove off, Gryffindor."

Godric removed the pillow, wincing slightly though feeling immensely satisfied. He glanced upwards at his partner, who had hidden himself under thick, snug blankets. Godric tossed the pillow onto his side, earning a muffled protest for doing so, and laid down.

Godric hesitated, but eventually managed, "Hey, Salazar?"

"Hmm?"

"Good night."

"Night, Godric."

There were no more exchange afterwards, but Godric allowed himself a small smile.

And maybe, things will all come out in the wash after all.

* * *

"_GOOD MORNING, YOU PEOPLE!"_

Thud.

"_IT'S MORNING ALREADY! RISE AND SHINE, SLEEPYHEADS! LET'S ALL WORK HARD TODAY AS WELL!"_

"Apparently falling off beds is how you start the morning. How amusing."

Godric glared up at his partner from the floor and sat up, the tangled blankets falling onto his lap. "Not funny, Sal."

"Don't call me Sal," his partner jumped off the upper bunk and landed soundlessly before him. "But well, it is the second time you did that."

"The stupid Hat just gave us the worst morning call ever!"

Salazar shrugged. "Fine, never mind that. Go and get yourself ready, I don't think they'll want us to be late."

Godric grumbled under his breath and lazily swiped his robes from the chair.

Half an hour later, both were trudging down the steps towards the giant double doors leading to the Great Hall. It was agreed that they would meet up there each morning, and whoever receives a Task would have to notify everyone else, so that they could assist in fulfilling it and preventing the "punishment" should it failed. It was the only logical solution, and the only way for them all to survive. Yet there must be something else behind what met the eye, Godric was sure; besides, how would they react if one of them completed the series of task and left by him or herself?

_Scratch that, how long would it take for one to actually complete all the Tasks, when we don't even know how many Tasks are there?_

His train of thoughts was abruptly cut when he collided into someone. "Ow!"

He glanced up, rubbing his head, and green eyes met icy blue ones in a locked glare.

"Oh. Good morning, Rowena…"

"Godric. Salazar." Her eyes narrowed. "Pair One. You're late."

Salazar shrugged, not even looking at her. "'Course we are. Godric overslept."

Godric glared at him. "I did not."

"You do. You woke up because of the Hat. We all woke before then."

"Liar."

"Enough." Rowena's voice cut through their argument cleanly. Both boys stared at her as she straightened her dress. "In anyways, you are the last ones to arrive. Get inside."

She turned towards the doors and disappeared into the Hall. Godric and Salazar shared a long look, before following suit.

The Hall remained the same as it was yesterday—four tables facing a lone, longer one, each covered with assortments of delicacies. The other five pairs were seated in the middle table, all of them deep in conversation. Rowena took a deep breath and cleared her throat, and all eyes were upon the three.

"So," she said. "Now that everyone's here, let's get into business. Take a seat," the last part was directed to Godric. He shrugged and sat next to Robert, who greeted him with a friendly smile, and Salazar dropped down on the seat across him, to the left of Helga. She did a similar gesture, to which he acknowledged with a small nod.

"I trust that everyone had gone out and investigate this castle yesterday," Rowena continued, "though we did not manage to sum everything up last evening. So, as a start, we'll be doing that before anything else."

Francis was first to report. "Well, Elvira and I checked—apparently, all stairs are blocked off. We're stuck in the first floor. And a lobby, if you count the Hall and the Entrance."

"And magic didn't work on it either. Methinks that we'll have to do something to get the Hat to open the way up for us," Elvira piped in from where she sat next to a drowsy William. Rowena nodded.

"We'll have to keep that in mind. Anyone else?"

"We won't be able to use magic in our rooms," Abel droned, his eyes yet again fixated on his book, "I tried. Bet you'd know too, if you did yesterday."

There were collective nods of agreement. Then Nicholas said, "Eh, did anyone notice that the paintings here are like Muggle ones? You know, not moving and all?"

Terence dipped his head. "Yes, that. But not only the paintings. Many other things that are supposedly magical are…well, mundane. It's as if…the Hat is encouraging us not to use magic often."

Francis rubbed his chin. "Well, considering about what he said about making us feel the pain of being Mugglelized—"

"—and the fact that we would not be able to do much if our partner falls," Helena noted dully. "I think it's meant to be beneficial."

The heated discussion froze immediately at that. Most of them stared at Helena in a mix of astonishment and disappointment, while Helga's gaze fell down to her feet, and Godric could see tears of guilt threatening to spill again as they were reminded of the Hat's warnings.

Then Robert frowned at the girl and blurted out, "How can you say that? This isn't the time to be pessimistic. No one will die; not if we all cooperate and support each other. So don't even think about it."

"He's right," Godric said, glaring straight at the brunette, who returned it with her own haughty gaze. "You should stop dampen people spirits with words like that. Now's not the time for that."

"Dampen people's spirits?" she echoed. "What are you even saying? I am merely stating the truth. The Hat is serious about killing us off. Giving us a mundane environment is only a form of fair play to those who may be so unfortunate to have their partner dead. Or, if you think that's pessimistic, missing at the moment."

She looked around, studying their incredulous looks with a challenging gleam in her eyes. Then she stood up. "Enough of this. If you cannot stand the way I look at things, then it would be better if I do things on my own instead of loitering with you mindless people. Then we shall see whether it is I being pessimistic or you being childish."

And once again, as what she did the previous day, Helena stalked out of the room, her dress swishing as she walked away in a steady and quick pace.

Terence shook his head. "I will look after her," he told them. "Of course, I will make sure that she will be here in the assembly each morning." He looked away, seemingly hesitant. "…and as her partner, I apologize for her attitude."

"Don't be," Robert said, tapping his shoulder lightly. "Take care of her. Make sure nothing bad happens to both of you."

Terence nodded, and regarded all of them curtly, before hustling out of the room in pursuit of his partner. Another silence throughout the Hall. Godric felt that he was starting to get used to it.

The day moved on in a blink of the eye. Nighttime had once again returned, forcing them all to retreat back to their rooms.

And tonight, Francis the Fat Friar was horrified. He staggered back, staring at the desk on the other side of the room, his mouth wide agape in panic and fear.

On it was a note.

The Task.

_Eliminate Helena Ravenclaw. You have two nights. Fail, and face death as punishment._

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